ARKANSAS EXECUTIONS: Arkansas court blocks executions of 2 inmates

Arkansas began preparing two death row inmates for execution on Monday night, despite a flurry of legal challenges attempting to hold back what would be the most intense burst of judicial killing in the USA in more than half a century.

Several courts handed down multiple decisions on Monday and early Tuesday morning, in a complex drama playing out as Arkansas seeks to execute eight men before its supply of midazolam, a sedative used in the lethal injection process, expires at the end of the month.

The US Supreme Court on Monday denied a last-minute request from Arkansas state authorities for permission to carry out its first execution in more than a decade.

Also Monday evening - in yet another piece of litigation surrounding the state's executions - the Arkansas Supreme Court vacated a temporary restraining order that a state trial court judge had entered last week barring the state from using the vecuronium bromide it had purchased from McKesson Medical-Surgical in its executions. The judge, Wendell Griffen, had placed an injunction on all the pending executions after McKesson, a major medical supplier, sued the state for misleading it over the acquisition of one of the lethal injection drugs. The federal defender had asked for the stays while the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to take up a separate case involving the rights of a defendant to have access to independent mental health experts.

Despite those developments, the state Supreme Court voted 4-3 Monday to grant stays for the first two of the eight inmates, Don Davis and Bruce Ward, who had been scheduled to be executed Monday.

In 1990, Davis - riding a four-day cocaine high - shot and killed Jane Daniel, 62, after he broke into and burglarized her home in Rogers, Arkansas.

The state was rushing to win approval to execute Davis before his death warrant expired at midnight.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request by the state of Arkansas to execute its first prisoner, making it even more hard for the state to carry out its eight scheduled executions before the end of April.

McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc. on Tuesday filed a complaint in Pulaski County Circuit Court seeking a temporary restraining order or injunction "to prevent the use of our product for something other than a legitimate medical objective", it said in a statement. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a federal judges ruling blocking the executions over the use of midazolam, a sedative used in flawed executions in other states.

Like many USA states, Arkansas has struggled to find the drugs it needs to carry out executions.

BHP reports record Iron Ore production in WA
It has outperformed by 4.45% the S&P500.The move comes after 6 months negative chart setup for the $87.59 billion company. The company would have produced more iron ore if not for the impact of wet weather across the Pilbara during the period.

The executions would have started Monday night under Arkansas' aggressive plan to use a key drug before it expires at the end of April.

A federal appeals court dissolved a stay that had been issued by a federal judge, but other legal obstacles remain in state courts. The governor is monitoring the courts and plans to visit with the attorney general and Arkansas Department of Correction leaders to discuss any next steps.

Among the decisions the state is appealing against is one from a federal judge who on Saturday halted all of the executions so the inmates could pursue claims their deaths could be especially painful.

"While the world meditates about divine love, forgiveness, justice, and hope, Arkansas officials plan to commit a series of homicides", he wrote.

The director of the Arkansas Department of Correction, Wendy Kelley, testified last week that Arkansas was not charged for its current supply of potassium chloride. The high court asked a disciplinary panel to consider whether Griffen violated the code of conduct for judges.

There are also two executions scheduled for April 24 and one scheduled for April 27.

That US District Court judge had ruled that the prisoners will likely succeed in demonstrating the state's proposed method of lethal injection is unconstitutional.

The plan for six to eight quick-fire executions in less than two weeks has never before been attempted in the modern era of the U.S. death penalty.

Comments

Latest Posts

West Bank clashes: Dozens of Palestinians injured
Stores were closed and roads empty across the West Bank, the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel for 50 years. There are approximately 6,500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

Vikings trade up to draft Dalvin Cook
He led FSU with 16.5 sacks last season playing defensive end, but some teams consider him a "tweener" who also could play inside. He says Cook told him he'd leave troubles, bad crowd in the past.

United CEO says no one will be fired for dragging incident
Dao refused to give up his seat because he needed to return to Kentucky to see patients Monday, according to his lawyer. The airline previously announced it was undergoing a comprehensive review that would be completed by April 30.

Johnson scores 28, Jazz beat Clippers 105-98 to even series
The Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 105-98 on Sunday evening, putting their series at two games a piece as a result. Paul can potentially carry this Clippers team to a first round win over the Utah Jazz, but even that is still up in the air.

Bayern Munich wins record 5th straight Bundesliga title
The game was set for a magnificent finale, and so it might have been had Vidal not been harshly dismissed on 84 minutes. Bayern are just one shy of a 50 percent hit-rate in Bundesliga's 54-season history, winning nearly every other year.

Samsung's profit jumps 46 percent thanks to semiconductor
This is an increase of 3.22 trillion won ($2.85 billion), 48 percent higher than the profit for the same quarter a year before. Total revenue was roughly $4.7 billion and sent shares to a new high, up 1.5% whilst the rest of the market was down 0.3%.

Cavs coach hosting TV party to watch Bucks-Raptors series
There's no reason the Cavaliers can't walk right through the Eastern Conference like James has done the past six seasons. And both teams are in even better shape next season with a ton of cap space to work with and key players under contract.

Bolles Drafted in First Round
Walker was a consensus All-American in 2016 and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year. After Day 2 of the National Football League draft Friday, they believe they've done just that.

Man charged with keeping neighbor in pit is held on $1M bond
Reinbolt said a police supervisor responded to the scene and two officers checked the neighborhood for Elliott, to no avail. Our news partners in Cincinnati, WLWT , is reporting that Dennis Dunn was arrested at 113 Central Avenue at 8:15 a.m.

Vivo V5s with 20MP front camera launched in India
It features a 20MP + 8MP camera setup on the front for capturing high quality selfies along with the wide-angle view. It is powered by the same1.5GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6750 processor with Mali T860 GPU which also powered V5.